The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 40: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. The other croupter and the decoys threw the tope of the rakes (which were immediately broken off), together with the ivory counters, the dice, and the diee-boxes, into the coffee-mill, where half a doxen turns of the handle served to grind ail those objects if not actually to powder, at all events into momels too small to answer the purposes of evidence before a magistrate. The borders or ledges of the table were put up—oues end balls were simultaneously produced—and by the time the police broke in, which they did in a very few minutes, the asj@ct of the scene was altogether changed. Not the slightest trace of om ordinary geming-table was y& biliiard-table at which several gentlemen seemed to be playing a quiet comfortable game, when the door was flung violently open and an inspector with half a dozen constables made their appearance. “ Ah! you have been too quick for us, eh ?” the inspector, with a glance embracing the aspect of things, and perfectly well aware of all that had been done. ‘“ However,” he added, “we will ese if we can’t bring it home to you Keep the door, lads!” “ What do you mean by coming into a respect- able house like this?” demanded the head oroupier, the indignant. “Come, Mr. Jameson, none of your nonscnse,” eaid the inspector. “You know very well that I am ecquainted with you and up to all your dodges. Hespectable house indeed! Very re- spectable, when it’s so barricaded down below that we are to force our way in by the attics; and even there you bave got a man posted ea the look-out. I ba will have an electric telegraph laid on next “Thank you for the hint,” eaid the principal croupler, bursting out langhing; sad he winked knowingly to his comrades. “ Now let us look at this machine,” continued the inspector, advancing up to the coffee-mill. But the stood eo firm that it semed to resist all his attempts to move it. He however retreated a pace or two, and applying his foot with a backward kick, broke it clean off ona level with the floor; so that what had appeared to be a pedestal, was in reality nothing more than a hollow tabe, or pipe, which passed completely throngh the flooring and down which the crushed objects went. “Where does your coffee go when you have ground it ?” asked the inspector, ironically. “ All the way down into the sewers, for the benefit of the poor devils who search those places,” coolly answered the croupier. “If you wanta sample of the coffee, you will have to go down into the sewer to get it; and then there's the chance of it's having been all washed away.” “ Well, I shall take this with me,” said the in- spector, lifting up the mill and the piece of the tube on the top of which was fixed; “and I shall take all you along with me likewise.” “What does the fellow mean?” cried Saxondale. ‘* Take us with him! What me Lord——” ‘* Hush—nonsense |" exclaimed Harold: “ you are Mr. Jenkina, and I am Mr. Tomkins. So now away to the station-house| We will send and get bail in half-an-hour.” “Oh! if thet’s all, it will be a capital lark,” eried Saxondale; “and to-morrow when we give our names as Jenking and Tomkins, we shall pussie the magistrate a bit.” 37 To be brief, the whole party were marched off to the station- house, which was close at hand; and there the two young noblemen waited while they sent for peraons to bail them. Four of Lord Saxondale’s tradesmen were speedily found for the purpose: and soon after midnight tholiberated aristocrats were strolling arm-in-arm down to Covent Garden to pass an hour at a “ free-and- easy " nightly held by an hotel-koeper in that neighbourhood. It was two in the morning when Edmund, most particularly drunk, was helped out of.a cab at the door of Saxondale mansion---helped into the house by the hall- porter—helped up to his chamber by a footman— and then helped into bed by his own valet. On the follo morning he awoke with a more awful head-ache than ever, and though he could scarcely drag himeelf from his couch, was nevertheless compelled to repair to the Marl- borough Street Polioe-office in discharge of his bail. When the case was called on, the magistrate expressed an opinion that he could do nothing, as no evidence was produced to show that the house was one for gaming, much leas that the prisoners were y gambling at the time of their arrest. They were all therefure discharged: and our two young noblemen quitted the office arm-in-arm, n Lord laughing heartily at the adventure. Harold now informed hia friend thet he had received a note from Mr. Gunthorpe scoept~ ing the invitation; wherenpon Edmund declared that he should go home and ie déwn for two or three hours for the purpose of “ getting all right,” so as to enjoy himself in the evening. They accordingly separated for the present, Lord Harold proceeding to Jermyn Street, and Lord Saxondale to Park Lane. Bat on striving at the manaion, the latter was informed, when about to ascend to his bed- chamber, that his mother desired to speak with him upon a very important subject. His firat impulse was to send a message to her ladyship to the effect that he would see her in the course of the day: but on second thoughts he fancied it better to adopt a more conciliatory policy, in case the Gunthorpe project might fail and he should find himself compelled to have recourse to her ladyship after all for the replenishment of his He acoordingly proceeded to the drawings room where she was seated. | eee CHAPTER VIL DOMESTIC SCENES IN HIGH LIFE. LapY SAxonpAte was now forty years of age, and was perhapsone of the most splendidly hand- some women belonging to the aristooracy of this country. Her's was a style of beauty which although so us in the spring-time of ita youthful opments, was that which preserves the best; and without having expanded into cor- pulency ox stoutness, her form had acquired just a sufficiency of enbonpoint to act off that matronly stateliness which so well became her. Thus her fine figure, still preserving the proper symmetry of proportions, was not luxuriant so as to destroy its grace, nor of contours too full to be compatible with elegance; while it gave her all that majesty of demeanour and queenly dignity uf look which COMM ElOOO SS COMM